Chapter 409: The Helpless President

As the president of the Jiangcheng Daily News, Ma Dabin was a man of some standing. He’d never been subjected to such humiliation.

He threatened, “Chen Qingdi, keep acting this arrogant, and tomorrow the Jiangcheng Daily News will run a story about you imprisoning your mother-in-law. You can deal with the fallout yourself.”

Chen Qingdi sneered. “You think I’m afraid of you? If you want to publish that kind of story, you’ll have to get through my security guards first.”

With that, he summoned Qian Laoliu, the deputy head of the security team. Qian Laoliu was a burly, fierce-looking man. He shot Ma Dabin a glare and shoved him out the door.

Ma Dabin staggered, nearly falling to the ground. He yelled in a rage, “Chen Qingdi, you just wait! This isn’t over!”

But the only answer he received was the heavy slam of the door.

Jiangcheng Newspaper Office. Office.

Ma Dabin held a cup of coffee, his brow furrowed. As the president of the Jiangcheng Newspaper Office, when had he ever been treated with such disrespect? In front of Chen Qingdi, he had felt as insignificant as an ant.

‘That bastard…’ Ma Dabin’s anger was hard to quell. “Liu Laohui, have you found anything?”

Liu Laohui, also known as Hei, was Ma Dabin’s most capable subordinate. He was standing before the desk now, burly and expressionless.

“President, I’ve already sent people to investigate, but there’s no concrete news yet.” Liu Laohui’s voice was low and steady.

Ma Dabin snorted. “This Chen Qingdi, he thinks he can run wild just because he has a little power. I’d like to see how he’s going to clean up this mess!”

Zhao Er, standing to the side, was nodding and bowing. “Exactly, President. We can’t just swallow this insult. We’ve already made the arrangements you requested. Tomorrow’s front-page headline will absolutely ruin him!”

Zhao Er was a tall, skinny man who always wore a fawning smile. Unlike Liu Laohui, he was better at dealing with people.

Ma Dabin nodded in satisfaction. “Excellent. Liu Laohui, keep a close watch on Mingyue Group. Let me know the moment anything happens.”

“Understood,” Liu Laohui replied.

“And another thing, both of you.” Ma Dabin lowered his voice. “I’m going to make Chen Qingdi understand… he isn’t even qualified to fight me!”

「The next morning.」

The front-page headline of the Jiangcheng Daily read in bold letters: “Mingyue Group President Chen Qingdi Abuses Mother-in-Law, Elder Woman Held Captive for Days.”

Below the story was a photo of an elderly woman in ragged clothes, her expression haggard.

The citizens of Jiangcheng City erupted in discussion, and Chen Qingdi’s name instantly became the target of public condemnation.

Inside the newspaper office, Zhao Er’s face was full of smug satisfaction. “Look at these results. Are you satisfied, President?”

Ma Dabin roared with laughter. “Excellent. Keep it up. I’m going to make Chen Qingdi realize he’s completely powerless to fight back against me!”

In the Mingyue Group building, Qian Laoliu, the deputy head of security, stood before the chairman’s office. His face was livid, and he was filled with righteous indignation.

“Chairman Chen, you have to do something about this!” Qian Laoliu said to Chen Qingdi. “Mingyue Group is a flagship enterprise in Hua Country! For those newspapers to dare slander us so openly… it’s just outrageous!”

Chen Qingdi sat behind his desk, his fingers tapping lightly on its surface.

He pondered for a moment before speaking slowly. “Liu, this matter isn’t so simple. The reason those newspapers dare to slander us so brazenly is that they’re confident they can get away with it.”

“What kind of confidence?” Qian Laoliu asked, confused.

“The power of public opinion,” Chen Qingdi said calmly. “This is the internet age. Public opinion can destroy anything. We have to handle this calmly and not be ruled by our emotions.”

“Handle it calmly? How can I be calm?” Qian Laoliu grew anxious. “Those people are trying to destroy us!”

“Liu, you have to trust me,” Chen Qingdi said, looking at him. “As long as we stick to our guns, there won’t be a problem. For now, Mingyue Group needs to be on high alert. We can’t afford any more trouble.”

Just then, Chen Yuan walked in. He was Chen Qingdi’s deputy, a very cautious man.

“Chairman, I have a suggestion,” Chen Yuan said. “Perhaps we could consider negotiating with them. If they’re willing, we could even offer them some money to make this go away.”

“I will never negotiate with those scoundrels!” Chen Qingdi slammed his fist on the table. “Even if they curse me and slander me online, I will absolutely never give in!”

Qian Laoliu and Chen Yuan were both stunned. They hadn’t expected Chen Qingdi’s stance to be so firm.

“Chairman, it’s not worth it,” Qian Laoliu pleaded. “Why should we get dragged through the mud over such a small matter?”

“This isn’t a small matter!” Chen Qingdi raised his voice. “This is about the honor and dignity of Mingyue Group! I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees!”

The atmosphere in the office instantly grew tense. Qian Laoliu wanted to say more, but Chen Yuan pulled him back.

“I understand how the Chairman feels,” Chen Yuan said, trying to ease the tension. “But negotiation isn’t entirely off the table. We can at least hear their terms before making a decision.”

Chen Qingdi was silent for a moment, then finally nodded. “Fine. Go and talk to them. But let me be clear: I will not accept any unreasonable demands.”

The negotiation did not go smoothly. The other party’s stance was unyielding; they demanded a public apology from Mingyue Group and a hefty sum in compensation.

Both Qian Laoliu and Chen Yuan felt they were being extorted, but Chen Qingdi calmly analyzed the situation.

“The reason they’re so arrogant is because they’ve found our weak spot,” Chen Qingdi said. “This is the internet age. Public opinion can destroy anything. If we issue a public apology, it would be tantamount to admitting their accusations are true. Mingyue Group’s reputation would be ruined.”

“Then what should we do?” Qian Laoliu asked anxiously.

“We only have one path,” Chen Qingdi said resolutely. “We fight back with the law to defend our rights. Hire the best legal team and win this lawsuit!”

Meanwhile, in a dorm room at the Jiangcheng Newspaper Office, Yao Shufen was drinking with the newspaper’s president, Ma Dabin.

Ma Dabin had now completely dropped his facade. He had been pretending to uphold justice, but now he couldn’t be bothered with the pretense.

He raised his glass to Yao Shufen and said with a smile.

“Mrs. Yao, I don’t care if what you said is true or false. As long as you’re the one saying it, I’ll treat it as the truth. Besides, Chen Qingdi had me beaten up, so I have my own grudge against him. Taking him down isn’t just to help you, it’s to help myself. We’re on the same side now.”

Yao Shufen was even more delighted to hear this and immediately replied.

“That’s wonderful to hear! I’m telling you, Old Ma, if you can really help me drag Chen Qingdi’s name through the mud in the papers, then when he’s forced to pay up, we can split it seventy-thirty. It’s no big deal.”